On Monday, July 18, Villanova basketball hosted an open practice and autograph session at the Finneran Pavilion to showcase the team before the upcoming 2025-26 season. It was the first public look at the program under new head coach Kevin Willard.

An open practice is rare for Villanova basketball, especially this early before a season. With Willard now in charge, it is possible fans will have more opportunities to see their team before the season arrives.

The Wildcats brought in 11 new faces in just one offseason. While the roster turnover is unprecedented for Villanova’s program, that is becoming close to normalcy in the new world of college basketball. Fans across the nation are having to learn entirely new lineups on a per-season basis rather than the old three to four years.

With such a huge overhaul of a program, an open practice is a more effective way to see the new squad than before.

Open practice officially started with three-on-three scrimmages, followed by five-on-five scrimmages that included former Villanova players for the remainder of practice. 

Suns guard Collin Gillespie, Daniel Ochefu, Omari Spellman, Jordan Longino, Mark Armstrong and others teamed up to scrimmage against the current Wildcats. The scrimmages provided a very, very early look at the 2025-26 Wildcats.

Acaden Lewis: The Freshman Star

Freshman guard Acaden Lewis ran the point for the majority of his time on the court. He looked calm with the ball in his hand and could lead a team. At times, Lewis found himself paired up with Gillespie. Despite being a freshman with no college basketball experience, he held his own against an NBA player.

Lewis showed himself as a phenomenal ball handler for his age, and was explosive when it came to making cuts on the court.

“[Lewis] has a great feel for the game,” Willard said. “He has great vision, and he has really worked hard on his shot this summer. The good thing about Acaden [Lewis] is that he is not going to be the only guy out there. He doesn’t have the pressure of having to do everything all the time.”

Under-the-Radar: Tafara Gapare

Willard has expressed interest in playing 10 to 11 players this season. To be able to do that, the roster needs depth. Senior forward Tafara Gapare has the opportunity to put together an under-the-radar season after coming off the bench for Maryland last season and averaging 10 minutes per game.

Gapare, 6-foot-9, has a high vertical and can get to the rim when needed. He could be a surprise on the boards.

This summer has been focused on individual improvement for the Wildcats. Willard noted that the team has not centered its practices on rebounding or defense this summer, opting to focus on how each player can improve.

“We haven’t done much defense, so we’ve really concentrated on individual structure,” Willard said. “I really concentrate on getting to know these guys or personalities. So that’s a September or October question (referring to defensive strengths). I will have a much better feel when we put our defense in and put our concepts in. We haven’t done a whole lot of that this summer, just because you got 13 new guys trying to figure out who they are and what they can do.”

With the focus not on concepts and team play, it addresses the reason why Villanova has not solidified a rebounder or defensive plans at this point in the summer. When the time comes, Wildcats such as Gapare (6-9) and redshirt sophomore Braden Pierce (7-0) will play roles in rebounding.

The Wildcats Finally Get Matthew Hodge

Villanova has several Wildcats who have height and size and are still comfortable from beyond the arc. Redshirt freshman Matthew Hodge, 6-8, is one of those players. After missing last season due to eligibility reasons with the NCAA, Hodge looks prepared for his first collegiate minutes.

“[Hodge] is probably the ultimate team player,” Willard said. “You are going to see a guy that can play on the wing, play power forward. We are going to play him at five and play small at times. I think [the fans] are going to see a real versatile, tough, hard-nosed player.”

General Takeaways

Other than individual players, the team as a whole has strength across the 14-man roster. For what they lack in height at times, they can make up for it with physical strength. Apart from Lewis, who weighs 180 pounds, every player in the lineup is listed at 200 pounds or more. If that strength can be used effectively, it will be beneficial come Big East play.

Graduate guard Devin Askew and redshirt sophomore guard Malcolm Flaggs did not participate in the scrimmages for unknown reasons. 

“We have three more three more days of workouts, and then they are off,” Willard said. “Everybody gets to not see me for two weeks. I think everyone’s looking forward to not seeing me for two weeks.”

Villanova’s season starts on Monday, Nov. 3, against Brigham Young University in Las Vegas at the T-Mobile Arena. A full non-conference schedule is expected in the coming weeks. The Big East Conference schedule will be released in September.